IBM DSA Interview Questions

What IBM asks in the DSA round

IBM screens with cognitive-ability and coding assessments, then covers core CS subjects, SQL and project deep-dives.

Across the 200 questions on this page, the weight sits on these patterns:

• Greedy — 30 questions · read the greedy guide
• Dynamic Programming — 26 questions · read the dynamic programming guide
• Two Pointers — 20 questions · read the two pointers guide
• Binary Search — 19 questions · read the modified binary search guide
• Sorting — 14 questions
• Prefix Sum — 10 questions · read the prefix sum guide
• Math — 9 questions
• Simulation — 9 questions

How to prepare for the IBM interview

1. 1. Start at the top of the list above. The patterns are ordered by how often IBM uses them, so the first two or three buy you the most coverage per hour.
2. 2. Solve by pattern, not at random. Doing eight greedy problems in a row is what makes the ninth recognisable in an interview — jumping between topics does not.
3. 3. Tick problems off as you go so the gaps are visible. The per-pattern counts tell you which IBM topic you have actually covered.
4. 4. Write the approach before the code. IBM interviews are judged on the reasoning as much as the working solution.
5. 5. Pair this with the pattern guides when a topic is new, and the system design sheet if the role is senior enough to have that round.
6. 6. If this is a campus or off-campus drive rather than a lateral move, the placement preparation guide covers the stages around the DSA round — aptitude, core subjects and the HR interview — in the order they actually happen.

IBM interview questions — FAQ

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